End of IDS makes no difference in Bristol West

12.00.00am GMT Wed 29th Oct 2003

Williams: Tories have no appeal in urban Britain.

Reacting to the news that the Conservatives have sacked Iain Duncan-Smith as their Leader, Stephen Williams the Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate for Bristol West said:

"The Conservatives have been on the slide in Bristol for over 10 years. They used to have three MPs in the city.

"Now they have none. In the 2001 general election they crashed to third place in Bristol West. They are a poor third place on the City Council and have yet to select a new candidate for Bristol West."

"When the Tories came third in the Brent East by election IDS dismissed the result, saying that it was not the sort of area where Tories could win. The Tories have been driven out of every major city in the country and it is now the Liberal Democrats who challenge Labour everywhere from Bristol to Newcastle. Without winning large numbers of seats in urban areas no party can form a government, or provide a credible opposition."

"The Tories will lose the next general election whoever leads them. They have no appeal in urban Britain and are out of touch with 21st century society. The dismissal of IDS, who launched the Tories' Bristol West campaign in 2001, will make no difference to these more deep-rooted problems."